


Curious Awakening

by nanuk_dain



Series: The Tales of Ray the Highly Affectionate Ninja Kitty and Tim the Freaking Adorable Puppy [2]
Category: Generation Kill
Genre: Banter, Cuddling & Snuggling, First Time, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Making Out, POV Ray, Ray being Ray, Ray's naughty mind, soft morning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:42:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27026017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nanuk_dain/pseuds/nanuk_dain
Summary: Ray wakes up on the morning after his paddle party to find a sleeping corpsman in his bed. A very specific, hot as hell, sexy ass, moustache rocking, star of his jerk-off fantasies and daydreams, badass corpsman.And this time it'snotjust one of his fantasies.
Relationships: Timothy Bryan/Ray Person
Series: The Tales of Ray the Highly Affectionate Ninja Kitty and Tim the Freaking Adorable Puppy [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1988506
Comments: 3
Kudos: 18





	Curious Awakening

**Author's Note:**

  * For [military_bluebells](https://archiveofourown.org/users/military_bluebells/gifts).



> So here we go with the continuation of Ray's and Tim's story after Ray's paddle party - yep, the one shot turned into a series... It really ran away with me XD
> 
> I still blame it all on **military_bluebells**. I hope you don't mind, hon ;D  And thank you so so much for all your comments that I still have to reply to, you're the best and I love you so much for leaving me such awesome comments! I'll reply soon, right now uni has me in its claws and shit's not working the way it's supposed to, but once I'm over that you'll get the replies you deserve ^^ Aaaand you might like to know that I have things to say to several of the fics you posted recently, so you'll get comments, too :D

The first thing Ray becomes aware of is the sun on his face that is rudely disturbing him in his very pleasant sleep. The second thing is a dull pain in his right ankle, but it's not that bad so he decides it can be ignored. The third thing is that his pillow is exceptionally comfortable and it's warm and smells _fantastic_. The fourth thing is that he really _really_ doesn't want to wake up, much less get up. Well, getting up doesn't necessarily have to be a consequences of waking up, at least in his experience.

Since Ray can tell that his pillow is most definitely alive and since right now he has no idea who's in his bed _and_ he's curious by nature, he decides that some recon is in order. He peels his eyes open and closes them again immediately because of the nasty sun shining directly in his face. Yeah, way too bright right now. He'll do his recon by other means, he doesn't need his sense of sight for that. 

His hearing's not that useful because his company is very quiet. No snoring, no sniffling, no talking in their sleep. Okay, next sense. Smell, because he already noticed that one. Ray turns his head closer to his living pillow and takes a deep breath. Hmmmm, yep, still smells good. Very good. Fantastic, even. God, he loves that scent... and he's sure he knows it, but he can't place it right now. But even without being able to match it with a specific person it tells him that there's a ninety-nine percent chance of his pillow being male, because in Ray's experience women don't have that kind of scent. They smell good too, sometimes even very good, but it's a different kind of scent.

Well, there's an easy way to verify his thesis. Two, actually, and he decides to go for the taste test first. Just because his nose is already touching warm skin that has to belong to his pillow's throat, so stretching a little to get a taste isn't that much of an effort. Aaaaaand maybe he's curious if he remembers the taste or even knows it. Okay, all right, so he only wants to find out if somebody who smells that good also tastes that good. 

So Ray tilts his head back and stretches just enough that his lips touch the warm skin just below his pillow's jaw, then he opens his mouth and leisurely trails his tongue over the skin. And fuck, _yes_ , that tastes _delicious_ , and same as with the scent it's familiar, but he can again not place it. There's also the sensation of stubble against his tongue, a clear confirmation that his company is male - well, or a bearded female, but he deems that unlikely. Not because he wouldn't go for it, but rather because there aren't that many bearded women around and he certainly never met one before. 

His thoughts are interrupted when he hears a pleased little groan and his pillow's head tilts to the side on instinct to grant Ray better access. The noise comes from somewhere deep in the chest and it's hoarse and low and definitely male. Oh looky, his sense of hearing does get do its bit after all! Another valuable piece of intel is that it seems his living pillow has a sensitive neck and definitely likes a hot tongue on his skin. Things like that are _very_ useful knowledge and have to be stored carefully for later reference. It always pays to know what your partner likes. 

Now, let's get to the second way to verify his thesis that his pillow is male - not that he really needs more proof, but this it too much fun to stop now. So, which sense didn't he use yet? Touch, yeeeees! Okay, he did use it, but not with intent, and he's going to remedy that now. 

First Ray concentrates on what he can feel where his body is touching his pillow's. He's taller than Ray - which is not much of a clue to his identity because pretty much every guy is taller than Ray - and he's muscular, but not in the broad, built way Rudy is, more in the toned kind of way, and it feels _very nice_ against Ray's body. Next Ray focusses on what he can sense under his hand, the one resting on his pillow's chest, not the one mostly immobilised between their torsos. There's fabric under his fingers, a t-shirt he'd say from the way it feels. Ray opens his hand and flattens his palm on his pillow's chest. It's as sturdy and well-defined as the rest of him and feels very nice to the touch, and there's a strong, regular heartbeat under his palm that for some reason Ray lingers to sense a little longer before he continues with his discovery tour. When he trails his hand lower he finds a flat stomach with the hint of a sixpack. Hmmm, nice. So far the results of his explorations are very promising.

Ray decides against any explorations further south, because that's best done with a conscious, actively participating partner. So Ray moves his hand up again to touch strong shoulders and toned arms. Yep, his company is definitely male, and a very fine specimen, too. Ray's still unclear about who it is, though. Maybe he will have to open his eyes after all. But before he does that there are other ventures he can explore. Like his ability to reason in combination with his memories. That might get him some results without having to face the bright sun.

So, he's in his bed with decidedly male company, somebody who he feels he's familiar with but obviously not to the degree that he can identify him without seeing him, which he is too lazy to do right now, hence all the thinking and reasoning. Next question: How did his nicely built human pillow get into his bed? The answer must lie in whatever he did last night. So where was he again? Because that's the only place where he could have picked up this male company that smells so good. Hmm, definitely somewhere with lots of alcohol or the memories would come instantly... Oh yeah, right, his paddle party.

Oh.

Oh oh. 

His paddle party was only attended by guys from Bravo Two, which means that he currently has _another Recon Marine_ in bed with him. That might become _very_ interesting once they're _both_ awake. Oh fuck, he just hopes it's not Chaffin. Or Manimal. Or Trombley - yeah, that would be so disturbing. And disturbed. The thought alone makes him shudder. Rudy, though, he wouldn't mind. Or Walt. Or a certain sexy-ass grumpy corpsman. _Oh yeah_ , he'd _love_ to have _him_ in his bed. The ultimate realisation of every wet dream and jerk-off fantasy of the past eight months since Tim joined their platoon... At least Ray knows it's not Brad because a) the body against his isn't long enough to belong to that freaking giant, and b) he knows _exactly_ what Brad smells like - no way not to after two tours together - and this isn't it. 

Okay, so maybe it's time that he opens his eyes, because that's the only way Ray's going to find out who he's currently cuddled up against _in his bed_ on a Saturday morning. Or noon. Could be noon already. No idea.

But this is nice and comfy and he feels good, he doesn't want that to end. And once he opens his eyes and realises who it is he has ended up in bed with, this _is_ going to end. So he'll grant himself a few more minutes of blissful ignorance where he can fully enjoy the company of his most pleasant living pillow. Ray relaxes against the taller body and stretches again to brush his nose against the warm neck and inhale the fantastic scent of his companion. Oh, he's going to miss that... Because _fuck_ does he smell good. And he makes the most delicious little sounds at the touch of the tip of Ray's nose against his neck, not to mention that tiny tremble that goes through his body whenever Ray's nose brushes behind his ear. Yeah, his companion certainly has a thing for getting his neck caressed. 

Okay, time to face the music. And also, Ray's too curious now to find out who his living pillow is to wait any longer. So he peels his eyes open again, more careful of the sun this time, but it has moved on enough to not shine directly into his eyes anymore. It's still very bright, so Ray blinks a few times until the world comes into focus, and for the umpteenth time in his life he's grateful that he's one of those lucky motherfuckers who hardly ever get a hangover. He has received admiration and envy for that talent in equal measure in his short life. 

The t-shirt under his palm is grey, no print. Whatever bits of skin he can see are white with the tan lines typical for their uniform. All of that is not very helpful, so Ray takes a deep breath and then very slowly lifts his head off the comfortable shoulder it was resting on and props himself up on his elbow so that he can see the face of his companion. As soon as he does his brain screeches to a halt.

 _Doc Bryan_ is in his bed.

Hot as hell, sexy ass, moustache rocking, star of his jerk-off fantasies and daydreams, badass grumpy corpsman Tim Bryan is _in Ray's bed_.

No. Fucking. Way.

But _damn_ , he looks _good_. His hair is a little longer than regulation and nicely tousled from the pillow, and he really _really_ rocks that moustache. His mouth is agape just a little bit, and fuck, his lips are so gorgeous and full and Ray _really_ wants to kiss him, morning breath be damned. And as if to fulfil the cliché Tim really looks softer and younger when he's asleep, he's gorgeous and relaxed in a way Ray never was privileged to see before. No matter what happens from now on, this is an image he will never forget.

Ray swallows hard and forces himself to focus on finding out what happened instead of just staring at Tim like a spellbound creep. Okay, situational awareness. Tim - as well as Ray himself - is clearly wearing a t-shirt, which means that they probably didn't have any sexy times last night that Ray can't remember. Just to make sure he lifts the covers a little and yep, they're both wearing their underwear. Pity. He furthermore doesn't feel like he got some last night. Also a pity. A quick glance around the room reveals his and Tim's shoes neatly arranged next to the door with the socks stuck inside, and their pants are folded and piled on top of each other on the chair in the corner. And the trash can is not in its usual spot, instead Ray can see it next to his side of the bed, but at least it wasn't used for puking. Yeah, definitely no sexy times.

Next Ray spots a water bottle and some advil on the bedside table - must also be Tim's work - and he reaches for the water to down half of it, but he foregoes the advil since he doesn't have a headache and he doesn't feel nauseous, so he doesn't need it. He feels more alive after drinking the water, but it also calls his attention to the fact that he has to pee and it can't wait much longer. With one last glance at the still peacefully slumbering sexy corpsman in his bed Ray carefully wriggles his way off the mattress, trying no to wake Tim because maybe he'll get the chance to crawl back into bed with him once he has taken care of business. Yeah, that would be nic-

 _Fuck, goddamn, shit_ that hurts! As soon as Ray's right foot connects with the floor an intense pain shoots through his ankle that makes him hiss, but at least he manages to keep from crying out. It's like the pain breaks down the wall that kept his memories of last night hidden and suddenly it all comes back to Ray - the guys trying to fill him up throughout the entire evening, Manimal being a clumsy idiot and knocking Ray over, the bottle he stepped on when he tumbled and that made his ankle twist painfully when he fell down, Tim bandaging his foot, the guys escorting Ray around Brad's garden and house like evil teasing nurses, everybody passing out left, right and centre, Brad pulling him off the porch bench, Tim carrying Ray piggyback to get him home...

Oh fuck.

 _Oh fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck!_ Ray spilled his guts. Not just bits and pieces, no, he spilled it _all_. And not just to some unconcerned third party, no, to Tim himself, the _person it concerns_. Ray fucking _told_ Tim that he wants his hands wrapped around Ray's dick, for crying out loud! And even worse - yes, it can always get worse - that he wants to know what it feels like to be loved by Tim, he actually remembers saying those exact words. He doesn't remember much after that - he thinks he fell asleep - but whatever happened, it can only have made matters worse. And he didn't just talk, he fucking _licked Tim's neck_ and _mauled him in the middle of the street_ while Tim was so kind to carry him home - shit, _that's_ why Tim's scent and taste are so familiar! It's probably only his Hippocratic oath that kept Tim from dumping Ray's molesting ass in the closest ditch to be run over by a passing car. And to be fair, he would have been right to actually do that.

Oh shit, Tim will kill him when he wakes up. Fuck, Ray is so dead... Okay, he'll just go pee now, maybe that will solve all his problems. A guy can dream, can't he? Maybe he should just drown himself in the toilet to avoid all consequences of his actions. It's not like he can ever face Tim again, not after this. Pity that his head doesn't fit in the toilet far enough to actually drown himself. Would have been too easy, wouldn't it?

Ray hobbles to the bathroom, trying to put as little weight as possible on his busted ankle. When he's standing mostly on one leg in front of the toilet bowl and is _finally_ emptying his bladder he suddenly gets angry. For _fuck's sake_ , why did Brad let Ray go with Tim? He knows Ray, he's one of the few people who are aware what happens when Ray is drunk beyond a certain point, and Brad must have been able to tell that that was very much the case last night. And while he and Brad may not have regular heart-to-hearts about their deepest feelings and desires, Brad _knows_ how Ray feels about Tim, he's fucking known for months! 

Ray flushes the toilet and washes his hands before he makes his hobbling way back to his bedroom. _Dammit_ , Brad must have seen it coming a mile away, the way Ray would royally fuck himself over if left alone in Tim's company in that particular state of drunkenness - why didn't he prevent that? He should have nailed Ray's feet to the porch, or punched his lights out or locked him in the basement, whatever would have been necessary to make sure that Ray's _not_ alone with Tim - not when Ray's handsy as fuck and has absolutely no filter between his brain and his mouth anymore! The things he told Tim last night... Oh god, how's he ever supposed to look him in the eye again?

Ray not only admitted to being a creepy stalker and having watched Tim for months, he also gave rather detailed accounts of his observations, from his frown analysis to his thoughts about Tim's hands and mouth and what he wants them to do to him. There was no way of misunderstanding what Ray was saying, he clearly hit on Tim, and he did it with the gracefulness of a hooker and the finesse of a sledgehammer and the subtlety of a wrecking ball. And he couldn't have chosen a worse target - Tim's not known to suffer fools gladly, and he certainly isn't afraid to shoot you down if you disrespect him. And what else do you want to call it what Ray did last night when he... _Oh god_ , did he call Tim an adorable puppy? Yep, he did. No, wait, it gets even worse - he suddenly remembers rubbing his face in Tim's hair as if it was the fur of a dog and then calling him 'my cute little puppy Timmy'... Oh shit, he's _so_ dead. There's _no way_ Tim is going to let _that_ slide. 

Hmmm, maybe there's a way to make his head fit into the deep end of the toilet bowl after all.

Okay, so Tim's sleeping in his bed right now, but that doesn't mean he's okay with all the shit Ray did and said last night. It means he was either more drunk than Ray thinks he was, or he didn't like the couch, or he's simply not bothered to share a bed with another guy, or he just didn't care last night. It _definitely doesn't_ mean that he's even remotely returning Ray's interest, no matter how much Ray may want that to be the case. Even if he was - and that's a huge 'if' - interested in guys in any way - and he's never show any indication for it, but that's no surprise with DADT looming over their heads - then it still doesn't mean he'd be interested in _Ray_ of all people, just because Ray confessed his undying love and bottled-up horniness for Tim's sexy ass last night. No, more likely Tim was just too decent a human being to kick a man when he's down - or wasted, in Ray's case - and therefore didn't shoot him down last night, so he'll put Ray in his place this morning when he's sober and can't in any way hide behind alcohol as an excuse for-

"Stop worrying." says a dark, deliciously gravelly voice from the bed. Ray actually flinches where he's standing one-legged at the foot of the bed like a gloomy creep lost in thoughts, and his head jerks up to look at his not-so-sleeping human pillow, the origin of the words.

" _What?_ " Ray honest to god squeaks because _fuck_ , Tim just scared the shit out of him. He's not supposed to be awake! Ray is _so_ not ready to face the consequences of his actions yet! He hasn't even had time to come up with an escape plan yet!

"I can hear you worrying from over here." Tim remarks drily, still in that rough, low, rumbling voice that causes goose bumps all over Ray's back and arms. Ray can only stare at him, too worried what will happen next, and maybe still more than a little horrified about what he did and said to Tim last night. He watches Tim sitting up _in his bed_ \- yeah, he's still working on believing that - and the sheets pool around his waist, his t-shirts is rumpled and his face still soft from sleep. Even in his transfixed state of horrified shock Ray still can't help noticing how fucking gorgeous Tim looks when he stretches to retrieve the water bottle Ray left on the bedside table.

"As long as it's not _you_ who's having a big gay freakout, we're good." Tim continues when he seems to realise that Ray's not capable of speaking right now, then he calmly opens the bottle and takes a long pull.

"Ah... I... a big... what..." Ray's brain is not working. No, that's not correct, it's _over_ working. There's so much going on at the same time that he can't grab a single though, much less form a proper sentence that is an actual coherent reply to what was said to him. Instead he's at lightning speed dissecting Tim's words and every other clue he's giving him. 

First off, Tim's body language is mostly relaxed, certainly nothing indicates that he's surprised or shocked by waking up in Ray's bed, which concludes that he _did_ fall asleep there knowingly. In combination with the absence of any signs of hangover that means that Tim was indeed not drunk last night, probably only buzzed. There is a faint hint of tension in his frame that Ray would never have noticed if he wasn't so versed in reading Tim's body language after months of careful observation and studying. It's not uneasiness per se, more like a careful alertness with a focus on Ray, and Ray assumes it's because Tim's not sure what to expect from him now that Ray's awake and mostly sober and might or might not remember last night's events.

Next Ray's brain sorts through what Tim said and how he said it. The first thing Ray latches on is that Tim made it a point to say 'we're good'. Considering that _he_ most certainly remembers everything that Ray did and said last night, that choice of words is not coincidence, he's signalling to Ray that he's not pissed off or about to make Ray pay for his drunken transgressions. And the way he pointedly emphasised the 'you' when he referred to the gay freakout indicates that _he_ is _not_ having a gay freakout despite all the very gay things Ray said and did to him. That in turn would mean that Tim is comfortable with this, with sharing the bed with Ray, and not in the innocent brotherly way. That suggests that Tim is either gay or bi himself and is not at odds with it, and that he trusts Ray enough to let him know that. And it's Tim who's extending trust here, because now that Ray is out of the Marine Corps, he's not threatened by DADT anymore. But _Tim_ could lose _everything_ , and he trusts Ray with that, which oddly enough calms Ray down a fair amount. 

"So, _are_ you having a gay freakout?" Tim's words interrupt Ray's wildly spinning thoughts, and Ray gapes at him for a second or two until he has managed to process the question he was asked. At least that one is easy to answer.

"No." Ray replies firmly, because he never in his entire life had a gay freakout. Why get worked up about something that's been there for as long as he can remember? Ray has always looked at female and male butts in equal shares, and he enjoys a pair of nice soft tits under his fingers as much as the feeling of a hard cock in his hand. It's all about pleasure, and without his career in the Marines he'd never have hidden that part of him in the first place. Not to mention that DADT didn't exactly prevent him from falling head over heels for a very much _male_ corpsman - so no, no gay freakout anywhere in sight.

"Then come back to bed, Josh." Tim pats the mattress next to him before he gives a barely stifled yawn. "It's still early enough to grab a few more hours of sleep. We went to bed just four hours ago."

Ray can't do anything but stare. Tim doesn't mean that. He _can't_ mean that. He can't really _want_ Ray in bed with him after all the shi- 

Wait. Ray's brain screeches to a halt for the second time this morning. Did he... Did Tim just call him 'Josh'? He did, didn't he? Oh damn, that's right, Ray forced his first name on Tim last night... and he's still using it, and fuck, it sounds _so good_ that it makes goose bumps spread over Ray's arms and he wants to hear Tim say it agai-

"Come here, cuddly kitty." Tim actually makes a clicking noise with his tongue the way you'd call a cat, and while Ray is a little bewildered he's also oddly compelled to follow the prompt. But most of all he's baffled by Tim addressing him by a cute nickname. Maybe he imagined that. Maybe that's the residual alcohol in Ray's bloodstream talking. Tim really doesn't strike him as the kind of guy who'd use cute nicknames at all, never mind with one of his Marines. Okay, _former Marine_ in Ray's case, but that's not the point here.

For a moment Ray only gapes at Tim, then he blurts, "Did you just call me a cuddly kitty?"

"Yeah." That's it. No explanation, no elaboration.

Okay. Ray didn't expect such a clear, concise, unapologetic answer. "When did _that_ happen?"

"Last night. Because when you're drunk you're - how did I put it again? Oh yes, because you're 'a highly affectionate kitten on an extremely potent truth serum'. And you demonstrated that quite explicitly." Tim chuckles - _damn_ , that's a nice sound - and then he smirks up at Ray who's still standing like a gaping moron on one leg at the foot of the bed. Damn, Tim looks so hot and gorgeous when he's smirking like that, and Ray feels his heartbeat pick up speed at the sight. He should do that _way_ more often.

Then Ray realises that what Tim just told him doesn't sound familiar even if there's a tickle in his brain, like it's a memory he hasn't quite reclaimed yet, and before he can think about it, he blurts, "I don't think I remember _that_ yet."

Tim cocks an eyebrow in a way that seems careful all of the sudden - and that's a pity, Ray liked the relaxed, playful version of him better. "What _do_ you remember?"

For the first time in probably ten years Ray feels a blush come to his cheeks that he's sure is strong enough that Tim can see it, and Ray has to clear his throat before he can speak. "Pretty much everything before..." - _Before I told you that I want know what it feels like to be loved by you_ \- "...ah, before I fell asleep while you were carrying me."

Ray thinks he sees a smirk flutter over Tim's lips before it's suppressed, and then Tim touches his hand to the side of his neck where Ray left a faint mark last night. He can't help wondering if Tim already knows it's there or if he's still completely oblivious to the fact that there's a mark in the shape of Ray's front teeth on his skin. "So you remember the _relevant_ parts."

"Yeah, I sure do." Ray admits and feels a new wave of heat in his cheeks. Fuck, he's not used to feeling embarrassed and he doesn't like it at all. 

"Did you mean it?" Tim asks in that low, gravelly voice that always makes a shiver run down Ray's spine, and suddenly he sounds hesitant and maybe even insecure in a way Ray has never heard from him before and never would have thought possible. He's watching Ray attentively, his gaze so intense that it feels like a touch on Ray's skin. "The things you said last night, did you mean them?"

Ray swallows hard, because why the fuck does Tim have to be _that_ direct? Couldn't he have skirted the pink elephant a little longer, or at least leave Ray to come to terms with his latest fuck-up before he has to face it? Because how is Ray supposed to answer that question? He's in complete limbo here, he has no idea how Tim will react to the truth. But then Ray decides to hell with it, he's out of the Corps and never has to face Tim in a professional capacity again if this goes tits-up, so he'll go for it, he'll take the plunge and risk it all. He'll put his heart and his ego and his dignity out there and hope that Tim will not trample them, that he'll be gentle when he lets Ray down. His chances of that are reasonably good, Tim has never struck him as cruel.

Ray licks his lips and makes it a point to look Tim in the eyes. "Yeah, I meant it. Every word."

Tim doesn't say anything, but to Ray it seems as if he relaxes a bit. 

"How long?" Tim probes after a few seconds of silence, and Ray doesn't have to ask what he's talking about.

Well, in for a penny, in for a pound. "Pretty much since I met you."

"Fuck." Tim gasps out, his reaction immediate and the astonishment obviously heartfelt. " _Eight months_?"

Okay now, put like that it sounds like Ray's desperate, like he's a lovesick chick with an insurmountable crush on the hot jock. Which is kind of true, but that's not the point. 

Ray just shrugs, and if the gesture is a bit uneasy and self-conscious, well, fuck you. "What can I say? You grew on me."

Tim swallows visibly at those words and Ray's not sure what to make of that reaction. Tim keeps watching him for a few moments as if he's trying to understand Ray, then he clears his throat. "Would you ever have told me? Or would we have just parted company after your paddle party and I'd never have known?"

"Option B, most likely. Didn't want to bother you with something I thought you wouldn't want anyway." Ray shrugs again, then he purses his lips and furrows his brow. "Well, and I wouldn't have, if not for that terribly bad friend Brad who left my drunken ass in your charge knowing perfectly well what would happen."

Tim lets out a spontaneous little laugh. "Oh yeah, remind me to thank him for that. And he did give me fair warning before he handed you over to me. Even made me promise that I'd keep whatever you'd say to myself."

"He did?" Ray is frankly surprised, and maybe that makes him a little less angry at Brad. But only a little. "At least he had that much foresight."

Tim eyes Ray with an eyebrow raised in question. "Does he know about... your feelings?"

Ray presses his lips together, then he gives a quick nod in confirmation. "He noticed me watching you in Iraq when... Wait, did you say you want to _thank_ him for dropping my drunken molesting ass on you?"

"I did." Tim smirks; a little, quietly pleased expression. "Without him, we wouldn't be here now, would we?"

Ray just gapes at him in disbelief and a twinge of hope. Okay, maybe Tim's direct approach isn't _that_ bad after all. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"That depends entirely on what you think I'm saying." Tim replies, still with that little smirk on his lips.

Ray just rolls his eyes. All right, so Tim wants him to say it. Ray can do that, he's no coward. And considering the things he confessed last night, this should be a walk in the park. 

"Are you saying that you..." Ray stops and has to lick his lips before he can continue. Okay, maybe not a walk in the park. "... that you like what I did to your neck last light and wouldn't be opposed to me doing it some more?"

"Yes, that would be a part of it." Tim replies in that direct approach that Ray's beginning to appreciate. For a moment that seems very long to Ray Tim holds his gaze, then he smirks again and very casually pulls his t-shirt over his head and lets it fall to the floor next to the bed. Then he yawns again and sinks back into the pillows with a pleased sigh before he pats the mattress next to him again. "And now come back to bed, my cuddly kitty. It's not even 8 am and I want to sleep some more. I deserve it after carrying your admittedly not _that_ heavy ass for twenty-three mikes."

Ray is still too busy staring at the beautiful temptation that is a shirtless Tim to react verbally. Of course this is not the first time that he's seen Tim without a t-shirt considering that they lived in the same tent for months, but he was never allowed to look this openly, much less to appreciate and enjoy it like he's doing now. Because there's no mistaking Tim's action as anything other than the permission to look, to enjoy and hopefully also to touch. And fuck, Tim is gorgeous, he's exactly as toned as he felt under Ray's hands when he performed his touch recon after waking up. Damn, now Ray really wants to get his hands on Tim again.

"And Josh?" Tim's beautifully gravelly voice rumbles from the bed, and fuck if Ray doesn't feel it on his skin like a physical caress that leaves goose bumps in its wake _all over his body_.

Ray has to clear his throat before he can even _consider_ speaking, and even then his voice is still notably breathy. "Yeah?"

"Lose your t-shirt. I want to feel your bare skin against mine." Now _that_ spurs Ray into action. He doesn't hesitate to rip his t-shirt over his head because _ohhhh yes_ , he also wants to feel Tim's warm skin against his, he wants to feel it all over, along with Tim's hands and his mouth and that damn sexy moustache. He crawls onto the bed, just paying a minimum of attention to not apply any pressure to his bummed ankle, and then he lies down on the pillow next to Tim, who has closed his eyes and seems to be well on his way back to sleep, which is not what Ray has in mind at all. 

When he feels Ray's presence next to him, Tim turns towards him and to Ray's great surprise he plasters himself along Ray's side and rests his head on Ray's shoulder with his face buried against Ray's neck. But he doesn't stop there, he also entangles his legs with Ray's and his hand settles on Ray's chest, his fingers slowly stroking over the skin there. Ray savours the beautiful, addictive sensation of Tim's warm, bare skin against his and he feels like he's given something special when Tim relaxes against Ray until he feels completely boneless. 

For a second or two Ray is stunned by Tim's actions, then he wraps his arm around Tim and begins to card his finger through Tim's hair. It causes Tim to make a low sound of pleasure deep in his throat and he snuggles - yes, that's the _only_ appropriate word to describe what he's doing - closer to Ray without ever opening his eyes.

"It's my turn to nuzzle your neck." Tim murmurs, and Ray can hear the smile in his voice when Tim's nose brushes over the skin of Ray's neck and he inhales deeply. "Hmmm, very nice. Now I get why you kept doing that last night."

Ray chuckles. "Well, yeah, it was hard to resist considering how fantastic you smell to me. And given my alcohol induced _total_ lack of inhibition last night, I didn't even see why I should bother resisting it in the first place."

"I don't see that either right now." Tim's voice is low and sleepy, but he still keeps brushing his nose along Ray's collarbone and up the side of his neck in slow, gentle motions while his hand draws a lazy pattern along Ray's _No Dice_ tattoo.

And suddenly it hits Ray - Tim is a cuddler. Their grumpy, slightly stand-offish, deadly badass corpsman is _a cuddler_.

The stunned silence in his mind that follows that realisation is soon broken by a very enthusiastic mental _'Fuck yes!'_ and a rush of excitement. This is like hitting the jackpot, seriously, can Tim be any more perfect? Because while Ray certainly loves sex in almost all of its variations - and loves it very very much - he _also_ absolutely loves cuddling. That's something he has learned the hard way not to be so open about, especially with his male conquests. They often find it annoying, sentimental and too much of a girly thing - which Ray was told to his face once in a rather disparaging tone of voice before getting kicked out of the bed, and that seriously stung. It was like getting kicked in the balls immediately after a very nice orgasm, and that's not a pleasant combination. As for the ladies, some of his girls liked it a lot, others thought it was strange for a guy and rather unmanly. 

But Tim - who nobody is _ever_ going to call 'unmanly' - clearly has no issues whatsoever to very openly show his appreciation of cuddling, and Ray smiles in genuine pleasure at that. Oh yes, this is perfect. Not that Ray doesn't want to get into Tim's pants anymore - or boxers, in this case, the pants are long gone - but this is so deeply satisfying in an entirely different way than sex would be. He still can't believe how lucky he is - his cute little puppy is a cuddler! 

Tim's nose gently but purposefully bumps against Ray's throat, and Ray instantly feels proven right in calling him a puppy. "I'm trying to sleep here, Josh, and your brain is very loud even when you're not saying anything."

"I was just thinking about how right I was last night - you _are_ an adorable, cuddly puppy." Ray remarks with a grin and Tim makes a sound that is an interesting mixture of a chuckle and a snort, but he doesn't deny it. Ray takes that as encouragement to admit to his own love of cuddling, so he turns his head enough that he can touch his lips to Tim's forehead in a lingering kiss before he murmurs, "I like that _very_ much."

Now Tim is definitely chuckling, and it's a deeply pleased sound. "Don't tell those damn Recon Marines. It'll undermine my authority."

Ray just snorts because the idea itself is surreal. "They'd never believe me. And quite frankly, some things I don't want to share, I'd rather keep them all to myself." 

"Like what?" Tim asks, his voice still sleepy rough, and Ray loves how comfortable and relaxed he sounds. As far as Ray can tell, his eyes are still closed.

"Like you." Ray replies without even thinking about it, and only when the words have left his mouth does he realise how that makes him sound - like a head-over-heels in love, somewhat possessive boyfriend. _Fuck_. They haven't even kissed yet and here Ray is, staking claims he has absolutely not right to and that he doesn't really know are welcome. He needs to back-paddle _right now_ , do some damage control so that Tim doesn't jump out of this bed to escape the freak lying in it with him.

Before Ray get can completely absorbed by his spiral of panic, he feels Tim shift and stretch against him in a lazily content way that is at the same time mesmerisingly sensual, and his hand on Ray's chest slowly strokes up along Ray's collarbone to his neck in a gentle caress. This doesn't feel like Tim's trying to escape, Ray thinks with those few braincells that are still working. Then he feels Tim's large palm settle on his jaw in a gentle but sure touch and he coaxes Ray to turn his head towards him. Ray feels his heart begin to race because _yes yes yes, please_ , he wants Tim to kiss him more than anything, please, don't let this be a cruel joke...

Ray sees Tim tilt his head back when he stretches the little bit it takes for him to reach Ray's mouth, but then the distance closes and Tim touches their lips together. Ray's first thought is that Tim's lips feel even softer and fuller than they look, and they fit so perfectly to his. For a second or two it's just that, a gentle meeting of lips that feels oddly familiar despite the fact that Ray _knows_ this is the first time he gets to kiss Tim. Then Tim opens his mouth and Ray shivers when he feels the tip of Tim's tongue trace his bottom lip in a slow touch, almost a question. Ray finds himself reacting before he can even think about it. He moans somewhere deep in his throat while he opens his mouth, eager to meet Tim's tongue with his own to finally _finally_ find out what he tastes like, what he feels like.

And _oh god_ , he tastes _so good_ , better than Ray ever imagined in his many fantasies. His hot tongue slides along Ray's in an unhurried, sensual way, exploring Ray's mouth and savouring their touch with open relish. The way that fucking sexy moustache is tickling over Ray's upper lip is delicious, it's an additional stimulus that Ray never knew he needed before today. On pure instinct Ray's hand cards through Tim's hair and then he makes a fist and pulls just a little, and Tim's entire body trembles in reaction to it and he groans into Ray's mouth in pleasure. Ray immediately stores that reaction in his catalogue of Tim's weak spots along with his sensitive neck. Meanwhile Ray's other hand wanders along Tim's arm and shoulder and down his side to his waist, and Tim's skin is soft and warm under his palm, interrupted by the odd scar that Ray skirts with his fingertips. 

Tim shifts gently under Ray's touch where he's lying halfway on top of Ray and it feels as if he's seeking more contact. He keeps kissing Ray, licking into his mouth and coaxing Ray's tongue into his to learn his taste and feel by sharing lazy caresses. It's as unhurried and sensual as Tim's movements have been ever since he lay back in the pillows, and Ray finds himself enjoy it immensely. Oh yeah, he could keep kissing Tim like this for hours and never tire of it. 

Tim slowly begins to pull back, but Ray follows him with a little moan of protest and immediately closes the gap between their mouths again. Tim chuckles in their kiss and Ray feels him smile against his lips before Tim leans in again, resting with more of his weight on Ray as he shifts a little further on top of him and his leg slides between Ray's. Ray's hand - the one that's not buried in Tim's hair - slides along the beautiful curve of Tim's back, one finger tracing down his spine all the way to the waistband of his boxers, and Ray doesn't even stop to think about what he's doing when his hand continues underneath the fabric and his fingertip traces along Tim's cleft before wandering up the swell of Tim's ass. Tim shivers under his touch and groans into his mouth, and Ray can feel that he's half-hard where his dick is pressed against Ray's thigh. 

Ray flattens his hand against Tim's skin until it's resting splayed out on Tim's ass cheek, then Ray closes his hand in a firm hold. Tim's hips buck as if on instinct while Tim groans into Ray's mouth in clear approval and he arches his back so that he lifts his ass to press into Ray's hand. Ray's beginning to grow hard and he feels light-headed by Tim's reaction, by the way Tim moves into his touch and shifts against Ray's body as if he's trying to get even closer to him. Even with only a fraction of his brain still working Ray immediately adds that new piece of information to his growing catalogue of things Tim enjoys. Because Ray's an ass-man, and judging by the reaction he just got, Tim _loves_ to get his ass touched. Yeah, seriously, Tim can't get any more perfect. Impossible.

Tim plays with his tongue along Ray's before he breaks the kiss and pulls back enough that he can look Ray in the eye. Ray feels his warm breath on his own wet lips, and he's absolutely spellbound by the way Tim is looking at him through hooded eyes, his pupils blown so wide that the dark blue of his irises is barely visible anymore. It's probably one of the sexiest things Ray has ever seen, especially in combination with Tim's kiss-swollen lips and how his mouth is agape in quick breaths. Tim keeps looking at him for a few seconds, then he smirks.

"Good, we're definitely on the same page about this." Tim's voice has dropped an octave and it's so rough and gravelly that it feels like a physical caress on Ray's skin. "Now lets get some sleep."

" _What?!_ " The little incredulous whine that escapes Ray in unhappy protest would have embarrassed him if Tim didn't chuckle in such a blatantly pleased manner when he hears it. He's still smirking when he leans in to place a soft but chaste kiss to Ray's mouth, then he scoots down to rest his head on Ray's chest again, but not without brushing his nose against Ray's neck once more. Ray's sad that the shift in position makes his hand slide off Tim's very nice firm ass, instead it comes to rest on his waist again.

"You're serious?" Ray can't quite keep the incredulous whine out of his voice.

"Yes. Sleep, Josh. So that we're up for more straining activities later." Tim mumbles against Ray's collarbone, and he sounds like he's well on his way to dreamland already, which is absolutely incomprehensible to Ray given what they just did. At the same time it's oddly adorable how Tim sounds right now. "We have all day."

Ray bites his lips trying to keep quiet because he doesn't want to come across as the impatient, needy, horny teenager he is right now. It doesn't last long, though, and then he asks almost against his will, "Promise?"

"Promise." Tim chuckles, his voice low but firm, and the word is followed by his lips pressing a lingering kiss to Ray's throat, and Ray is sure he feels the tip of Tim's tongue flickering over his skin. "You're not the only one who wants to explore those fantasies of yours."

Ray swallows hard, and he's sure Tim feels it. "You really mean that?"

"Hmmm." Tim hums in reply. He's quiet for a few seconds and Ray is beginning to believe he nodded off when he mutters, "Still have to find out what my hand feels like wrapped around your dick."

It's like a jolt of pure sexual energy shoots through Ray and leaves behind a tickling sensation of arousal in every cell of his body on its way to his already half-hard dick. Even if his life had depended on it, Ray wouldn't have been able to suppress the ensuing sharp gasp. "Fuck, Tim, don't says stuff like that when you want me to go to sleep! That has very counter-productive effects!"

Tim has the nerve to chuckle. "And there was something about you wanting to ride a corpsman, I think."

Ray doesn't bother holding back the groan that comes from deep within his chest. His dick is more than half-hard now and the images Tim is painting in his very receptive mind are not exactly helping him calm down. How the fuck is he supposed to fall asleep with those very tempting scenarios in his head? "Tim, you're a menace."

"You like it." Tim mumbles in reply and even sleepdrunk he still sounds smug.

"Fuck yes, I do." Ray admits shamelessly because it's nothing but the truth. 

Tim chuckles and Ray loves that he can feel Tim's smile against his bare chest. "Now sleep, Josh."

"I hate you." Ray grumbles on principle.

Tim nudges his leg up enough so that his thigh comes in contact with Ray's half-hard dick. "No, you don't."

Ray can't contain the shiver of arousal that courses through him and he bucks a little into the very teasingly placed thigh. Tim chuckles again, but it sounds like he's almost out for the count when he mutters, "Later, Josh." 

Ray can tell that Tim has nodded off for real now, his breathing is deep and regular and his hand on Ray's chest now lies still. Seems he wasn't kidding, he really has the ability to fall asleep even when he's half-hard - which he is, Ray can feel that very clearly against his thigh. Now that is impressive. Or maybe he's really more tired than Ray thought. Whatever the reason, he's out, and Ray is strangely touched by that. It feels like Tim falling asleep on him - literally, in this case - is something special, something Tim wouldn't do lightly and certainly not with just anybody - especially not with his half-hard dick very pointedly pressing into that anybody's leg. Maybe Ray's not just anybody.

Ray doesn't feel like he can fall asleep just yet - he certainly doesn't have Tim's ability to fall asleep while he's still at half-mast - so he decides to make use of the opportunity to learn the feeling of Tim's skin under his fingers by heart - at least those parts of him that he can reach in their current position, which sadly is not his nice ass. Since Tim is lying more on his stomach than on his side with his face and chest resting on Ray's body, that means Ray can get to his back, his neck and his left shoulder and arm. That's enough territory to explore and study until his hard-on recedes enough for him to fall asleep, Ray decides. The way Tim made it sound, Ray will get the opportunity to get to know the rest of his sexy body at a later point in time. He's already looking forward to it. He wants to learn _all_ of Tim by heart, no matter how much that makes him sound like a lovesick, pathetic main character in a very bad chick-flick.

Ray keeps carding the fingers of his left hand through Tim's hair since Tim's lying on that arm, so he can't move it much more than that. Ray likes how surprisingly soft Tim's hair is, and it's showing that he's on leave because it's slightly too long to adhere to the grooming standard. It's perfect to get a grip on and pull, though, and since Ray knows now how much that turns Tim on, he intends to do that when 'later' has finally come. He wants to know if he can make Tim lose it completely, and he thinks a combination of pulling his hair, working his ass and biting his neck might just do the trick. Oh fuck, he's sure that Tim losing control and surrendering to pure pleasure has to be the sexiest, hottest, most arousing sight on the planet. He wants to see that, he wants to know what sounds Tim makes when he's blissed out of his mind. He wants to know if he can make Tim arch off the bed and cry out in an orgasm to powerful that he loses any concept of space and time. Yeah, Ray's aiming pretty high here, but the payoff will be worth it. Getting to experience Tim like that and knowing that it was _Ray_ who made him lose it will be worth it.

Ray very slowly trails the fingertips of his right hand up Tim's side, over his ribs and then along his shoulder blade to the ridge of his shoulder and up the back of his neck. Tim makes a content little noise, more a sigh than an actual sound, and relaxes even more against Ray. Oh yes, he's a true cuddler, Ray thinks with a fond smile, because only true cuddlers relax like that when they're being touched while asleep. Tim clearly takes comfort and pleasure in Ray's slow caresses of his skin, and that encourages Ray to keep going because he knows now that he won't disturb Tim in his sleep. 

If he had to venture a guess, Ray would say that Tim is like him - he sleeps better when he's in physical contact with a person he trusts, even if it's entirely platonic and through many layers of clothes. Ray observed that on some of the other guys of Bravo Two as well, most prominently Rudy and Pappy - but then, it's not an unusual trait for sniper teams. He never saw Tim sleep that closely to anybody, though, which doesn't surprise him that much given how Tim always seems to make sure that there is a certain - not purely physical - distance between him and the men. Ray has experienced that with pretty much every corpsman he ever served with, so he assumes it's a corpsman-thing rather than a Tim-thing. Because given what he's just learning about Tim, Ray can tell that it's not his personal preference, so it must be a professional one.

Ray rests his flat hand on Tim's neck and then begins to stroke it down his back until he's at the small of Tim's back again. There's a scar on the left side, about an inch long and running perpendicular to his spine. It feels like a long healed injury, could be from a knife or a graze by a bullet. Ray lets his fingertips play over it to learn the feel of the puckered skin and the precise location on Tim's body. Only when he's satisfied that he could draw it blindfolded does Ray continue to pass his hand over Tim's back, and Tim shifts closer to him and makes that content little sound again, but stays fast asleep. Ray finds another scar right along the ridge of Tim's right shoulder blade and over his shoulder, a ragged uneven line that is about eight inches long and that Ray remembers having seen in the showers once. Already back then he wondered what made such a nasty scar, and rumour has it that it's from razor wire, but nobody really knows what happened, and Tim never said a word about it, even when he was asked directly. Now Ray takes the time to trail his fingertips over every bump and nip, slowly committing the scar to memory by feel alone. 

Ray knows Tim also has a scar high on his chest and another one running along his right hipbone, both out of reach for Ray in their current position. One of Ray's fantasies sees him explore all of Tim's scars with his mouth, and he loves the moment when he follows the one on his hip towards Tim's dick, trailing his tongue along the scar with a clear goal a little further south, and Tim is writhing under him and begging him to suck him off, his voice dark and rough with arousal, his skin glistering with sweat and his body trembling with that feeling of too-much-sensation-but-also-not-enough. And then there's that fantasy where Tim's in the communal showers at base with him, and they're alone but the door is unlocked. They start out by teasing each other with looks and seemingly accidental touches, but then Ray steps up behind Tim and takes him in hand, and Tim leans into him and Ray drives him crazy until Tim loses it, turns around and picks Ray up. Ray immediately wraps his legs around his waist and then Tim fucks him against the wall of the showers until Ray can't think anymore, and Tim makes these absolutely mindless groans every time he thrusts into Ray, and he's clearly completely lost in Ray. Ray loves the idea of Tim being able to manhandle him like that as much as the thrill of knowing that anybody could walk in on them.

Another fantasy Ray likes a lot is the one where he's fucking Tim over the hood of One Alpha's Humvee and Tim pushes back into him hard and demands that Ray sucks a mark on his neck. Oh god, he loves the graceful line of Tim's spine when he's arching his back to meet Ray's every thrust, how the muscles play under his skin in his back and arms when he's pressing hard against the hood of the Humvee in his attempts to gain more leverage to push back onto Ray's dick. Ray smiles at the mental image and begins to pass his hand over Tim's spine, feeling for real what he can see in his mind's eye, and Ray feels himself drift off to the beautiful sensation of the strong line of Tim's spine under his fingertips. 

Right when he's teetering on the edge of sleep he thinks about how Tim orders him in that fantasy to leave finger-shaped bruises on his hips, Ray decides that he has to find out if his hands fit as perfectly over Tim's hipbones in reality as they do in his fantasy.

**Author's Note:**

> In case any of you are wondering: Yes, there will be a third part in this series. It's almost finished and will hopefully satisfy all your _cravings_ to know how the morning after continues *dirty grin*
> 
> So, did you enjoy this fic? *is very curious*


End file.
